Things have been a bit busy over here recently, so I haven’t been able to spend time writing on my blog. That being said, I have just written something on Instagram that I wanted to save here for posterity. It’s shorter and less detailed than the things I usually write on this blog, but it’s something I think is important. Please do check out the original post on my Instagram, and check out the comments there, as lots of people are sharing their experiences.

Is it just me, or does this whole backlash against ‘Clean Eating’ by the very people who have built a fortune from it seem more like a cynical PR ploy than anything else? I’ve noticed over the last few months that as the tide has turned against clean eating (and with more scientists and experts speaking out), we’ve seen more (much needed coverage) about the dangers of this trend. That’s fantastic. But the things that I’m finding super strange at the moment is how some of the biggest names in Clean Eating (and it’s important to note that while they may have not used that specific language, they’ve actively, and in some cases aggressively, advocated for pseudoscientific and restrictive diets that fall within that term) are now pushing back against it – but only that word – even though their entire brands and ethos have been built around the same ideas.

I’ll say this – it’s totally possible and ok for people to change their minds when confronted with new evidence. Of course it is. I mean, I got caught up in wellness for a while back in the day (and I’m sure that’s how a number of you found me), but a lot of the things I’ve been reading (and I’m not going to name names, but I’ve read a fair number of things over the last few months) seem more of an attempt to protect a lucrative business than a sense of moral responsibility to protect readers. It’s just semantics. Turning against one word doesn’t change the core messages, and the language is only going to shift enough to seem as though things are changing, when in reality, it’s probably not all that much.

Please remember to be careful about where you get your advice from online. It’s so easy to fall into traps (I did it, I know – especially when you’re desperately ill and there are promises of diet cures that seem so simple). Restriction seems to make sense. But real diet advice isn’t sexy. Moderation and a lot of water (unless you have a genuine allergy or intolerance diagnosed by someone who is medically trained).

3 Comments on The Cynical “Clean Eating” Backlash

Natasha, I understand very well that the Internet always says that if you change your diet and just eat a plant based diet or a ketogenic diet, your chronic illnesses such as cancer, stroke, heart disease, diabetes, asthma, and all the other health problems disappear. You cannot trust the internet for anything, because there are full of scams and when people sick in health try those particular diets, they do not work at all.